Covid-19 Heading Towards Endemic Stage: Here's What It Means

An endemic disease is when the prevalence is restricted to a specific geography or a population. HIV, malaria are some examples of endemic.

In comparison to endemic, a disease is classified as pandemic when cases increase exponentially and are no longer limited to a particular segment of the population.

Covid-19 is gradually moving towards the 'endemic stage', Dr Sanjay Rai, a senior epidemiologist at New Delhi's AIIMS has said.

The senior medico pointed out at the mass vaccination across the country and the natural infection, the country's majority would get infected. With this, the virus would soon reach the endemic stage.

Similarly, the Head of Indian Council of Medical Research’s Epidemiological Department, Dr Samiran Panda believes that Covid-19 would become an endemic by March 11.

But according to the senior doctor, this transition from pandemic to endemic might be possible if the new Omicron variant replaces the Delta variant.

WHO Europe director Hans Kluge believes that the Omicron variant would infect 60 percent of people in Europe by March. With this, the pandemic would be heading towards the end.